Brewzilla Gen 3 vs Gen 4 Side By Side Complete Brew Day Comparison - Which One Is Best?

[@needfortv12]

I have a Gen3.1.1 that I bought from you when they first came out. I debated on upgrading to the Gen4 specifically for the wifi and the transfer alone. After watching this video I would say, if I were new in the market, I would get the Gen4, no questions asked. $200 is well worth an easier brew day (I would definitely tell people how to control the heat better during the mash to avoid the wild temp fluctuations). But I probably wouldn't spend the money on upgrade since I already have the 3.1.1.... unless my wife lets me get a bigger keggerator and need to brew more beer to fill it :). Then I can brew 2 beers in a day instead of one!

[@graintoglass]

I feel the same way. If you're buying you're first Robobrew get the Gen 4 but if you have a 3.1.1 I'd stick with that unless you really want to take advantage of the new wifi controller. I need to deep dive into the Gen 4 controller and test out the PID settings for a more consistent mash temp. Cheers and thanks for watching.

[@joshuapinter]

2 beers in a day is the dream. Eyeing up this and the G40 when the time comes. Of course, then I'll need more kegs, a secondary fridge in my garage for conditioning and carbonating backup kegs, etc. It never ends! :)

[@graintoglass]

@@joshuapinter The G40 is pricey but is a great unit and you can't beat Grainfathers 3 year warranty. When we file a warranty claim with GF on a unit we sold a customer that's faulty we can get a brand new unit for that customer within 2-3 weeks %99 of the time.

[@sebasti3n]

Nice video. Thanks. Bought the 3.1.1 last year and used it for the first time today. Great experience. The gen 4 was not available back then unfortunately. I probably would have bought it because of the display. Still better than my homemade brewing system I've been using for the last 25 years I guess. Thanks again for the great video!

[@graintoglass]

Cheers!

[@psmola101]

I'm very impressed with your ability to multi-task by doing 2 brews as once. I'm sure part of it is that you are not drinking a previous brew at the same time. :) I 've got 60 brews under my belt with old school igloo cooler mash tun and hot liquor tank, but I just upgraded to a 65L Brewzilla 3.1.1 (the price difference was huge, so I could not resist) and planning my first brew day. For me, this is an fantastic educational video. My brother has the 4.0 system , so its nice to be able to see them side by side. A lot a good take-aways for me. I only brew 5 gallon batches, but I bought the 65L system for 2 reasons 1) more power - 3500 watts, and 2) Larger diameter grain pipe so less chance of getting a stuck mash on a high gravity IPA, which unfortunately seems to be quite common based on what I have read. (I am an electrician so the extra wire gauge and breaker size for the increased wattage is not a concern for me) Its interesting that the 3.1.1 system is maintaining mash set temp very accurately when I have seen so many other vids and forum comments about temp variation of up to 4 degrees F. Not sure how to process these varying results. Maybe has to do with how thick the mash is - don't really know. Can you tell us what your water to grist ratio is? Also, I see that the false bottom traps the hop residue quite nicely on the 4.0 , but not as well on the 3.1.1 - I prefer to add hops directly into the boil or whirlpool as my results with respect to flavor are less than stellar when using hop bags or hop spiders. A lot to take in here. Lots to think about. In any case, super vid - keep up the good work. Its very much appreciated!

[@graintoglass]

Ya I have a brew day rule where I don't drink until it's time to clean up otherwise I tend to forget something lol. Cheers!

[@icemanknobby]

Great to see the difference:-) A tour of your shop etc would be good?

[@simonl1045]

Any comparison with the 2 units between the strike water heating up times?

[@graintoglass]

They take pretty much exactly the same time. You need to go to a 220v unit to see a vast improvement on heating time. Cheers

[@simonl1045]

@@graintoglass Ah, being in UK I have a 220 volts supply, so good news for me if I take the plunge! Thks.

[@jasonwarren4023]

Have you adjusted your PID settings on your Gen 4 yet? Curious if you will create a video on it. Thanks!

[@gurt204]

Odd question but can you use the Gen 4 malt basket in the Gen 3 system? I ask as I have a real problem with grains coming out of the malt pipe and clogging the pump every brew session. I believe mine is a bit warped on the bottom so I figure if I need to get a replace i might as well get the Gen 4 on.

[@davidstone6]

Thanks for the great video. I am an intermediate extract brewer and just bought a Gen 3 Brewzilla since it was quite a bit less expensive. I'm looking forward to trying it out very soon. I just have one more extract recipe to get brewed first.

[@graintoglass]

Congrats on your purchase, the Gen 3 is still a great brewing system. Cheers

[@davidstone6]

@@graintoglass Hi, quick question: are you using another brew kettle to heat up the sparge water? I'm trying to plan out my process and not quite sure what's the best way to do the sparging yet. Thanks

[@graintoglass]

@@davidstone6 I use a pot to heat up my sparge water. If that's a hassle for you just use the sparge water without heating it up. It'll just take a bit longer to get to a boil.

[@bensigl3766]

I am so glad I just switched from the Foundry! That being said, I wouldnt have switched any sooner, especially comparing the Gen3.1.1 to the Foundry Gen2. But, this Gen4 is an animal!

[@graintoglass]

Haven't tried the Foundry but the Gen4 has been awesome so far. Cheers

[@nieuwiefan]

No aeration of the wort in the fermenter for the yeast to start fermentation?

[@graintoglass]

I used to but haven't found a difference when using dry yeast. That being said the drill attached whirlpool I use does aerate it a bit.

[@beachedwalrusau]

I've had the gen 3 35l for a while (Before Gen 4 came out). I've made over 50 or so brews but if i was to upgrade i would go to the 65l gen 4 so i could do double batches of pale ales then use different yeast and dry hop combos to change them up. Also the heating units are much more efficient. The other benefit for me with a bigger unit is that it allows more room for grains for doing a single heavy beer such as a belgian trippel which i find more difficult with the gen 3 35l. Still it is a good machine but i would definitely spend the extra for gen 4 if i was starting out.

[@graintoglass]

I wish we could get the 65l version in Canada but they are not CSA approved.

[@stevensnider9055]

My Gen 3 has a grain capacity of 15# of grains. Specs for Gen 4 says 23.5 grain capacity. It also says 9.25 gallon capacity. Do you find this to be true.

[@pivodoma]

is it worth buying an arm for the 4th generation Whirlpool?

[@graintoglass]

I tested it and it does work. You don't need one but they're pretty inexpensive. Cheers

[@mikedilly9896]

How did you know how much sparge water to add pre-boil? And what was your target gal? I'm an extract brewer and have begun researching the electric brewing systems so awesome video!!!

[@graintoglass]

You could use a recipe calculator like Brewfather or Beersmith that will provide the amount of water necessary based on your equipment, batch size and grain bill. I mostly brew 5.5 gallon batches of %5-6 abv beer and find i use roughly 5 gallons mash and 2.5 gallons sparge on the Brewzilla

[@bruceroth9398]

Really nice video. I have a 35L 3.1.1 and I just got a 35L Gen 4. I tested the Gen 4 with water and found the Gen 4 displaying 9F lower than 2 thermometers known to be correct. This difference was confirmed at tap water temp, mash temp and boil. I attempted to calibrate the Gen 4 temperature and the calibration procedure failed. The unit would not "boot up" again until the next day. I brought the unit to my LHBS who uses a 3.1.1 for intro to all grain classes. We had the same issues even with their expertise, including the failure on the calibration. Can you try a temp calibration on the your Gen 4? Other compaints on the Gen 4 - There is no on/off switch, it just goes against me to unplug any electronics while it is powered up. The false bottom is extremely tight and actually bent when removing it on the first time. The handles on the lid are a nice change, but the lid did not fit well, whereas the lid on the 3.1.1 fits nicely on both the 3.1.1 and the Gen 4. Maybe my Gen 4 lid is unique in the way it fits. FYI, I remove the jacket after the boil. I find a significant difference in the chilling. Lastly, my 3.1.1 is a 220v and the pump failed after about 40 brews. I am unable to get it working after replacing the pump, pump switch and circuit board. I am working with Morebeer on this issue, So I bought the Gen 4 110v so I can brew at other locations and have benefits of the upgrades. Any idea how I can get a external pump solution? I would probably draw from the spigot and route the output to the camlock for sparge arm.

[@graintoglass]

Sounds like the controller on your gen4 is faulty. Did you try a factory reset? I was able to calibrate my gen 4 without issue. As far as an external pump solution I'm not sure as I never looked into adding one to a Brewzilla. Cheers

[@HistoryNiche]

Is a Brewzilla OK for a small business producing beer for the public. Or just home use ? What is your opinion? Do micro breweries use them ?

[@graintoglass]

The 35 liter version I have seen used occasionally in breweries for very small test batches or special event beers but you couldn't produce enough beer using this in a micro brewery to turn a profit.

[@wichitasid]

I have always had trouble recirculating. what grist to liquor ratio are you using? I've never tried to run the pump while doughing in. Kind of amazed it didn't clog and you are able to recirculate that fast

[@graintoglass]

I don't spend to much time thinking about water to grist ratio. I don't like a thick mash so I usually use 5 US gallons to mash around 10-11lb of grain and around 2.5 gallons to sparge. Perhaps your mash is to thick or your grain is milled to fine? You could also try adding some rice hulls to your grain.

[@wichitasid]

@@graintoglass Thanks - sounds about like the same ratio - mill is set at .39. Is that similar to what you are doing?

[@graintoglass]

@@wichitasid I think our mill gap is closer to 0.50 but I can't check at the moment. You should be able to slide a credit card through the rollers with just a bit of resistance.

[@danfarraher2665]

Is whirlflock not needed if using a chiller?

[@graintoglass]

Hi, I always use whirlfock tablets even when using a chiller. It helps clarify your beer. Cheers

[@grantebel7207]

Could you guys add a standard in-line voltage regulator to one of the 2200 watt elements on the 100l and also one on the 1000 watt element for the 65 liter model? I added one to my 65 liter model and it works great! This is the only way to truly make decent alcohol on this system.

[@graintoglass]

Unfortunately in Canada we only have access to the 35 liter systems.

[@chenyang1896]

How does the control panel hook to the kettle in G4?

[@graintoglass]

Hello, check out our G4 set up video around the 5min mark. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZvLg4FqZ7WZbK8si=jz9i1RP5rq93IBJ5&t=328

[@Nefariousrouge]

Are these u it's serviceable in terms of pumps and internal components? I've been looking at one of these (version 3) as a more affordable alternative to an Anvil Foundry unit.

[@graintoglass]

Hi, you should be easily able to get replacement circuit boards, lcd screens and pumps for both Gen 3 and 4. The only part that might fail and can't be replaced is the heating element. That being said we have sold hundreds of Brewzillas and we haven't run into a heating element failing yet. Cheers

[@jayworthington6831]

Thanks!

[@graintoglass]

Welcome!

[@losFondos]

I've just finished my first two batches with the Gen4 35 liter, I'm very happy with the purchase. I have two questions: 1. If I use the PID function, do I still need to turn down the power to ~ 30% during the mash? 2. is there a delayed start function like in the older models? If yes, how do I access it's Prost and keep the videos coming;)

[@graintoglass]

Hi, if you use the pid function you shouldn't have to change the power setting. For delayed start you would have to program it as a mash step. So for example 8 hours at 68f and then step 2 would be your strike temp, lets say 155f.

[@mnkybndit]

Just bought a 3.1.1 from Kegland in Australia. Now that the 4.0 is out, they've dropped the 3.1 to $220USD. I can live without a few bells and whistles for that price

[@bruceandjay5404]

Thanks for the great video. I bought Brewzilla 3.1.1 a year ago to supplement my outdoor all grain system (48L cooler for a mash tun, fly sparge etc.) and have struggled with inconsistent/erratic mash temps on the brewzilla, resulting in weak fermentations/high gravity finishes. One thing from your vid has me scratching my head... you set the strike water temp for exactly your desired mash temp, and when you dump in the grain and mash in, you somehow nail that temp. How does the presumeably room temperature grain not take that temp down at least for the first while till the burners bring it back up?

[@graintoglass]

I'd have to re-watch the video but usually I aim for about 4f higher than the temp I want to mash at. On the gen 3 I only use 1 element and haven't had issues with the temp being erratic. I also generally stir a bit every 15min and don't use a top plate. Not sure if that helps but if you haven't tried it it's worth a shot on your next brew. My FG will pretty much always be within a point or 2 of what Brewfather or Beersmith predicts.

[@bruceandjay5404]

@@graintoglass I really appreciate your taking the time to reply. I shouldn't have been surprised to see you were a good Canadian lad. Many thanks from Halifax!

[@mickholgate3347]

I've got a 3.1.1 and a Gen4,but prefer the connectivity of the Gen4. What do you prefer plate chiller of immersion chiller?

[@graintoglass]

Honestly I like the simplicity of an immersion chiller but a plate or counterflow chiller is definitely more effective. 9 times out of 10 I'll grab my 50ft immersion chiller if I'm doing a 5-6 gallon batch. Anything bigger I use plate or counterflow. Cheers

[@mickholgate3347]

@@graintoglass so for a brew in 65L Gen4 you would use plate chiller? is it usually good enough in one pass to put in a PET Fermzilla??

[@graintoglass]

@@mickholgate3347 yes I would use a plate or counterflow chiller for a batch that size. It will depend on the temperature of your ground water. In the summer here in Winnipeg I usually have to recirculate for 5min or so before transferring into the fermenter but in the winter usually one pass is fine.

[@mickholgate3347]

@@graintoglass I'm in Australia, ground water around 20 celcius most of the year.

[@graintoglass]

@@mickholgate3347 You'll have to recirculate for sure at that temp. Cheers

[@eddieabernathy5998]

Definitely Gen4🍺

[@MrCaseymetallic]

how did the beers compare? or are they still fermenting?

[@graintoglass]

We will be kegging them tomorrow!

[@ITAPTF240]

Making beer seems like such a PITA; I’ll stick to wine making 😅

[@graintoglass]

I really enjoy the process and coming up with recipes.

[@sunder1983]

Lol I have the same brew gloves you do

[@graintoglass]

They're great! Not very expensive and they keep your hands nice and safe.